Chapter 1654 Fame and Fortune

Li replied, "My second brother and his wife packed it themselves. They took everything they could, four carts full of luggage. Not only did they take food and daily necessities, they even took a lot of charcoal."

Zhulan knew that Mingrui was going to suffer on this mission. If the mission could not wait, she would have wanted her grandson to leave in the spring of next year. However, it was winter and the children could not wait.

This time, they also brought silver bills and food supplies given by the Queen Mother. These were given by the Queen Mother on behalf of the Emperor to orphans in various states. Life had been difficult since the beginning of winter, and the children were waiting for silver and food supplies.

Zhulan thought of wool and asked, "Do the children in the village know how to knit?"

Lee took a few seconds to respond and said, "I have already taught the children. They just knitted it and wore it on their bodies to stab people. The children are trying to find a way."

Zhu Lan asked, "Did Wu Ming come up with a solution?"

Li, "The livestock have only started to breed this year, and Wu Ming has just started."

Zhulan nodded. She had been in ancient times for so many years and did not look down on the ancients at all.

After talking for a while, Zhulan felt a little tired and fell asleep leaning against the pillow.

Li signaled Qingxue and the others to keep their voices down, and then she cautiously left the house. On the way back to the main courtyard, she met her second brother and his wife, "Mom is asleep."

Zhao turned around and said, "Then I'll wait until mother wakes up before going."

Li asked, "What do you want to see mother about?"

Zhao said, "It's nothing serious. I want Mingrui to go visit orphans in various states, so I sorted out some old cotton-padded clothes from the servants in the farm. I want to ask mother whether to let Mingrui take them over or send someone to deliver them."

Li heard this and said, "Mingrui will leave in two days, so I will prepare some things as well."

Cotton has been scarce in recent years. Servants who rely on their own families for survival can still get some cotton to make new winter clothes. The old winter clothes are kept by the children. She thought about exchanging some cotton cloth for old clothes.

Zhulan learned in the afternoon that the people with the most clothes were not the servants, but the masters of the Zhou family. Unfortunately, the clothing materials could not be donated. "I will send someone to ask Lord Rong."

Qingxue went there in person, brought back the news, and followed along.

Zhou Jiaguang loaded a cart with the old cotton-padded clothes of his servants. Of course, he did not take the old cotton-padded clothes for free. Those who needed cloth could exchange them for cloth, and those who did not need them could exchange them for silver.

The servants initially refused to accept it, but Zhulan insisted and they accepted it.

On the day Mingrui was leaving, Zhou Shuren came down from the morning court and Li Zhao came over and said, "You are good at planning for your grandson."

Zhou Shuren knew clearly that ever since the Emperor brought Old Man Wen and others to see the orphans, many people in the capital had been keeping an eye on the several manors in the suburbs of Beijing. When the students entered the manors, the more perceptive people realized that the results of the manors in the suburbs of Beijing would change if they knew about it.

It was no secret that Rong Enqing took Mingrui on patrol. If it hadn't been for the Crown Prince's wedding, the news would have spread long ago.

Zhou Shuren didn't say anything, so Li Zhao continued, "Don't pretend to be ignorant when you know the truth."

"Don't talk about plotting. My grandson can go to the manor to teach orphans when he has nothing to do. If you don't take my grandson with you, who else will you take care of?"

Li Zhao lowered his voice and said, "We have had a good relationship over the past few years, right?"

Zhou Shuren nodded with a clear conscience, "So?"

Li Zhao smiled and said, "My fourth grandson is also a scholar. Your grandson is going out of the capital with Lord Rong for inspection. How about my grandson going there to attend a few classes?"

Zhou Shuren, "......"

This guy is thicker-skinned than him.

Li Zhao was anxious. The prince had already gotten married, and his Li family was not going to covet the prince's harem. He was thinking about his descendants. There were too many shrewd people in the capital, and he would never underestimate the shamelessness of his colleagues. He would regret it if he didn't speak up earlier.

Zhou Shuren remained silent, thinking in his heart. He knew that Li Zhao was the first to speak because of their friendship, and more people would come to him later. "The manor has always been managed by my wife."

Li Zhao's eyes lit up, "Thank you."

Zhou Shuren looked at Li Zhao who was rushing away, and continued walking slowly.

Lord Lin stepped forward, "Uncle."

Zhou Shuren smiled and asked, "Are you Mingrui?"

Lord Lin smiled and nodded, "Yes, today is Mingrui's day to go out."

Zhou Shuren has always had a good impression of Mingrui Yuefei. After the Zhou family and the Lin family got engaged, Yu Shi had someone to help him. In recent years, the Lin family has helped him a lot. "I sent Shenxing to follow Mingrui."

After thinking for a while, he said, "Marquis Rong is accompanied by others. Their safety is not a problem."

Lord Lin felt relieved. He also wanted to go to the marquis's mansion in person, but he felt that it was too ostentatious. He was happy that his son-in-law had a job, but in his heart he admired the concern that Marquis Zhou had for his grandson.

Zhou Shuren spoke up, "I remember your third brother's second son is an adulteress and is currently at home?"

Lord Lin, "Yes, this child is not suitable for officialdom."

Zhou Shuren smiled and said, "I heard Mingrui say that he likes to do math."

He remembered it clearly because the child took the books that his wife had sorted out from Xiang Mingrui.

Lord Lin was surprised, "Mingrui still told you this?"

Zhou Shuren said, "You can ask him to go to the manor and take a look."

Lord Lin understood and was delighted. "I will send someone back after I leave the palace."

"Um."

At the mansion of Marquis Zhou, Zhulan unexpectedly saw the wife of the Minister of Revenue come to visit. The two families had a good relationship, but they were not close friends, so Zhulan and this lady were just for the sake of face.

It was too sudden for him to come in person today. After hearing the purpose of the visit, Zhulan smiled and said, "There are many children in the manor, so we really need a teacher. If the young master of the Li Mansion wants to go, I will ask the servant to lead the way."

Mrs. Li didn't expect it to be so smooth. "Don't you want to take a test?"

Zhu Lan smiled instead, "No need, someone will arrange it when we get to the manor, but let me be frank, if you are not suitable to be a husband, there is nothing I can do."

Mrs. Li said, "I know."

Zhu Lan sent Mrs. Li away and said quietly, "They all want to get involved."

Some did it for fame, some for profit. Now, she was happy that the emperor attached great importance to education, but also depressed that the manor had really become an academy. She didn't know whether she could feel secure in her position as the manager.

In the afternoon, Zhou Shuren entered the palace and jokingly told the emperor about his conversation with Li Zhao, "This manor has always been managed by my wife. I respect my wife, so I asked Li Zhao to ask my wife."

The emperor has been in a good mood recently. After hearing this, he said, "My nose is very sensitive."

Zhou Shuren, "Have you decided?"

The emperor turned the beads and said, "There is no hurry yet."

Although he said he was not in a hurry, he actually had a plan. He would listen to the reports from the farm regularly. The better the children were taught, the more touched he was.

Zhou Shuren repeated what he had said to the Lin family, "That child is very good at counting. The village needs a master who is good at counting."

The emperor didn't care about these. He thought about the Royal Orphanage and thought about it for a while. After coming to his senses, he said, "I heard something from the prince."

Zhou Shuren was stunned for a moment, then responded, "The prince doesn't talk much."

The emperor coughed. The prince would not say it, but he knew who the prince had investigated. "It really surprised me."

Zhou Shuren was speechless, "Is the emperor not busy recently?"

The emperor is busy, dealing with endless things every day, getting up early in the morning and going to bed late at night, "I also need to relax."

Zhou Shuren, "......"

So his family became the emperor's entertainment?